Eyes that say 'I Love You'
by ScriptAngel
Summary: Kaori recovers from the trauma of facing her worst nightmare- mentally and physically. All the while trying to understand what her and Saeba Ryo's relationship defines. Sequel to 'A City Hunter Story:Mine'.
1. Chapter 1

Hi there to anyone who reads! ^_^

This is a continuation of sorts of my first story 'A City Hunter Story: Mine'.

Originally meant to be a one-shot but ended up as a two-shot(?) :P

Hope you like it!

The places mentioned here are entirely made up and since I have never been to a Hot Spring the details are quite mushy. So, please bear with me!

**Disclaimer: I do not own City Hunter.**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Confusion**

"Hot spring?", Kaori Makimura said, not believing her ears .  
"Yes.", replied Saeko, " After all that Kaori has gone through, she needs to relax and enjoy herself."  
"But Saeko, I am completely fine!", Kaori said enthusiastically.  
"Its been just two weeks since you were drugged and traumatized yet again by Lei Akumu. You cannot be '_completely fine_' Kaori.", Saeko replied bluntly.  
Kaori blanched. She had lied obviously.

She was anywhere _but_ fine.

* * *

Every night she would wake up panicked and in cold sweat, a silent scream on her lips. She had managed the first two nights somehow by taking the aid of sleeping pills but Ryo found out about it and flushed everything and anything remotely resembling medicine down the toilet, all the while his face was set in a cold hard expression that never flattered even when Kaori swore that she would never do that again.  
Ryo had just shot her a warning "I-will-make-sure-of-that" look and walked away, leaving behind a very much troubled Kaori to collect all the empty medicine containers scattered along the bathroom floor.  
Kaori had been entirely too scared to sleep that night. She was no where ready to face the living hell of the images her mind played of -Maiko killing herself and Lei Akumu coming after her, no matter where she was,where she ran,... he always found her and that seemed to get to her more than she could handle.  
She had spent quite some time that night cleaning the apartment and doing what not till around midnight till Ryo came home.  
_One_ look at her from Ryo and Kaori was gripped with a new fear- Ryo would fire her as his partner.  
After all what kind of sweeper wanted a partner who was scared stiff of their own dreams?  
Ryo deserved better, the City Hunter deseved better... Kaori knew that. And she tried so hard to be better.  
But no matter how much she tried she could not help but shudder at the thougth of Lei Akumu.  
The sleeping pills had been the only way she could hide the truth of how much she had been affected by the whole ordeal with Lei Akumu from Ryo.  
"Just until she could cope with the thoughts", she had told herself, the first time the thought of actually taking the sleeping pills had crossed her mind.  
But her plan had back fired full force when Ryo found out about it and thereby successfully making him hella mad.  
Despite the fact that both had confessed their feelings out loud to each other, nothing had changed much.  
Ryo was still the pervert he always was and Kaori was still quiet the tomboy... but there were those times when Ryo would look at her, his eyes thick with the feelings he would not say aloud... Kaori had told herself it had been just her imagination because Ryo never really said the actual words that he... loved her... so there was no exact proof that he thought of her as more than his partner and friend.  
But the hopeless hope inside her told her that Ryo was waiting for her to recover from the trauma so that...maybe then he would... proceed in some way.  
And all of that thinking made her exhausted and weak for some reason. Her body was still not quite yet recovered from the drug but the doctor had assured her that she would be well back to normal soon.  
But being desperate to find out what Ryo really meant with his words the night he told her that he had no intentions of letting her go, Kaori had resorted to take the sleeping pills.  
The look Ryo was giving her right now, told her exactly how wrong she had been in making that decision.  
"Ryo-", Kaori started, only to be cut short as Ryo switched off the lights in the hall and dragged her to her room.  
Kaori had allowed herself to be lead, ashamed at her actions.  
So when Ryo had all but pushed her to her bed and was walking out of the room, Kaori took a deep breath and yelled-  
"I am sorry!" and buried her face inside inside the pillow to hide her tears.  
What happened next had been quite unexpected as Ryo lay next to her and pulled her near to him.  
Neither said a word.  
They just listened to the silence of the night as they fell asleep.  
That night when Kaori woke up yet again in cold sweat, she found herself quiet not-so-scared and shaken like before as she felt Ryo's arms around her.  
She didnt lift her head to see if he had been awaken by her, she just snuggled closer to him and listened to his heartbeat, that soothed her as she was lulled back into sleep.  
And it had been the same every night, Kaori would stay awake in bed every night till Ryo joined her on the bed and both would simply spend the night together, no questions asked.  
And Ryo would always wake up before her and prepare breakfast( or rather order breakfast from the Cat's Eye Cafe and put them on a tray and present it to her).  
Their relationship remained un-named and utterly confused to Kaori.  
It was obvious that Ryo cared for Kaori.  
But whether he cared for her as his partner and friend or as something more, that remained unanswered.  
She had been thinking about the very same thing when Saeko had showed up unannounced and declared that Kaori would be going on a holiday with Ryo, Umibozu and Miki to the hot springs this today.

All because Saeko had _chanced_ upon free couple tickets to the hot springs.  
"I dont understand", Kaori stated, " Why dont you use the ticket for yourself? Who not go yourself instead of me? You need not worry about me."  
Kaori smiled reassuringly at Saeko for good measure, she did not want Saeko to give up her place to the hot springs for her. That was too generous and kind on Saeko's part and it warmed her heart to know that she was cared for by the people around her.  
" Kaori!", Saeko stood up abruptly from the couch and stood opposite Kaori," This is what your brother would have wanted, so suck it up and get ready! Umibozu and Miki will come pick you up in two hours time. Dont worry about Ryo I will make sure he goes with you. You are going. End of discussion. Understand?", she said authoritatively.  
All Kaori could do was nod dumbly.  
"Good.", Sako huffed as she walked out of the apartment.  
"Have a good time Kaori! ", Sako called out over her shoulder sweetly as she closed the door with a wink.  
"That woman...", Kaori muttered to herself as she shook her head and got up to get ready for the weekend trip to the hot springs.

* * *

Saeko's heels clacked against the stairs as she made her way down the stairs from the apartment.  
"You know, you could have just given her the tickets yourself.", Saeko stated to the City Hunter who leaning against the corridor's wall.  
"She said yes this way too, didnt she?", Ryo said flatly.  
"I will never understand you. She would really be happy you know if she knew you thought of all this,", Saeko mused," What are you so scared of?".  
"What would I be scared of now?", Ryo said laughing.  
"What ever Ryo, just be careful with how you treat Kaori right now. She went through a pretty harsh experience.", Saeko warned before stepping out of the building.  
"Why do you think I have been restraining myself around her?", Ryo said silently while looking up at the ceiling towards his apartment, where Kaori was there, probably getting ready," Why else do you think I am nearly going mad and not simply taking all of her as my own... making her **Mine.**..In every way possible?".

* * *

The ride to the hot springs was somewhat pleasant and amusing, with Ryo trying to woo Miki and Umibozu trying to keep the car straight while attempting to strangle Ryo with one hand.  
Somehow.. _thank god_... they reached their destination safely.  
As soon as they entered the hotel where they were staying the night, they were swarmed with hotel staffs who were more than obliging to cater to their every need.  
The reason being the hotel was still a new one, being recently established the hotel believed a positive feedback was very much necessary for its future business.  
As Ryo immediately took to chasing the beautiful female employees of the hotel, the male employees of the hotel became entirely too dedicated to their first female customers and swarmed them with many services- a foot massage to ease them from the burdens of traveling, treats of various kinds to appease their appetites,...  
Miki was somewhat sheltered from the fierce dedication of the hotel management by a very much pissed off Falcon, while a poor Kaori was left to fend for herself.  
One employee who got entirely too comfortable with her while attempting to give Kaori a body massage was suddenly knocked out cold with a pebble...  
Everyone turned to the direction of the pebble sidewalk of the hotel where Ryo was trying hard to hide behind the bushes...  
Seeing no one, the rest of the hotel staff carried away the unconscious employee while Umibozu had the faintest of smiles as he looked in the direction of the bushes lining the pebble side walk.  
The hotel manager handed them their room keys.  
"Looks like Miki-chan is bunking with me!", Ryo declared jovially as he dragged Miki in the direction of one of the rooms but was floored almost instantaneously by Kaori's hammer.  
"You pervert!", Kaori breathed, "Miki-chan and I will share one room. Umibozu-san will you please share a room with this pervert and keep an eye on him so he behaves?", she asked.  
Umibozu nodded as he dragged the unconscious Ryo towards their room in the opposite direction of Kaori and Miki's.  
"You guys enjoy yourself! Dont worry about us till tomorrow morning!", yelled Miki at them as they disappeared around the corner.  
Kaori irked by Ryo's behaviour just shot daggers in his directions as she followed Miki to their room.  
"Kaori!", Miki exclaimed placing both her hands on either side of Kaori and looking at her dead in the eye,"Lets forget about everything tonight- guys, jobs, everything and have fun tonight! Lets make the most of this small vacation!".  
To which Kaori nodded her head furiously and decided to make the best out of the oppurtunity.  
Ryo or no Ryo, she was going to have fun tonight.  
They quickly changed into their bathrobes and made their way to the hot springs.

* * *

Ryo let the water soothe him as he rested against the rocks in the shallow part of the pool.  
Umibozu was across him, looking entirely too out of place with the wet towel over his head.  
They sat in comfortable silence until they heard the voice of girls from across the partition in the middle of the hot spring.  
Ryo immediately perked up and made way to swim across to the partition to see some 'action' but decided to abandon his plans when a wooden wash basin smashed the rocks next to his head,too close for his comfort.  
Ryo sweat dropped.  
"Are you trying to kill me here so you can have Miki-chan all for yourself,you bald octopus?!", Ryo accused angrily as he dodged yet another basin.  
"Stand still Saeba!", Umibozu thundered as he took aim again this time successfully managing to hit Ryo square in the face.  
Ryo fell down noisly against the rocks.  
"Falcon?", Miki's voice sounded from the other side of the partition,"Is everything alright?".  
"Yes.", Umibozu replied before settling himself once again in the hot spring.

* * *

Kaori and Miki sweat dropped only imagining what might have happened across the partition.  
"Well since Falcon says its okay,I guess...its okay?", Miki wondered out loudly causing both Miki and Kaori to burst out laughing.  
The other two young girls looked at them funnily before they too joined them.  
The four of them joked and talked about everything and anything at random until they were laughing while tears rolled down their cheeks.  
After spending quite some time in the hot spring, Miki decided that it was time for her to head back to the room after Kaori expressed that she wanted to stay for a little while longer.  
Miki left after wishing the other two girls good night, who wished her the same and promised to drop by Cat's Eye Cafe sometime on MIki's request.  
Kaori rested her head against the rocks after making sure the towel around her was secure.  
She could not help but sigh thinking of how things were between her and Ryo.  
So indefinite.  
"Is everything alright?", asked the taller of the two girls.  
Kaori laughed silently before replying, "My life".  
"Oh you mean love troubles", said the girl grinning.  
Kaori froze.  
"How...How did you know?!", Kaori blurted out.  
The girl chuckled softly before moving to rest beside Kaori.  
"That look on your face is the universal facial code for love troubles", she said closing her eyes as she too rested her head against the rocks,"Care to talk about it?".  
"I... its nice of you to offer but I dont want to burden you with my troubles", Kaori replied honestly.  
"Its quite alright actually. I can assure you that you will find it quite less stressful once you share it. Who knows maybe we find a solution to all your troubles.", the girl replied good naturedly.  
"I wish I could find a solution...", Kaori said deep in thought, maybe talking to a third party might help her see things more a deep breath Kaori decided to tell the girl the questions she wished she had the answer to.  
"My partner and I have been together for quite some time. We have been through thick and thin together. Despite what others think and see...I know he is a good man. Though his tendencies do get the better of him most of the time. But I always loved him. From the very beginning. Until very recently I thought I was the only one amongst us who had these sort of feelings until his actions made me think other wise... But now I am confused how he sees me as- family, friend, partner or something more?".  
The girl listened patiently to Kaori all the while she spoke not interrupting her or judging her but simply just listening to her.  
And the girl was right Kaori did feel a lot better now.  
"The thing about love is nothing's easy. It never is. ", the girl said as she looked up at the open sky,"The most important thing is to remember why you fell on love the first time and why would you fall again for the same person. But you must fight. Fight for your feelings to be heard and known. Otherwise its all just a waste.".  
"Fight?", Kaori wondered.  
"Huh uh, because only when you fight will you be able to tell him the true extent of your feelings and then you can look him in the eye and see what he feels. Then you will know as to what you are to him. Because men are such douche bags when it comes to mouthing out loud their feelings."  
Both Kaori and the girl laughed at that.  
"_D-chan_!", the girl's friend who had been listening to her ipod suddenly exclaimed startling both the girl and Kaori," We need to get going or we wont make it in time for the flight!", the friend said frantically as she gathered her belongings.  
The girl next to Kaori swore and started to gather her own things as well.  
"Well, it was nice meeting you! I hope we meet again! And good luck with your love life!", D-chan said as she exited the hot spring and winked at Kaori before hurrying after her friend.  
"Thank you!", Kaori yelled after her before letting herself enjoy the hot spring wholeheartedly for the first time.

* * *

Well whatcha think? Please do let me know! :)


	2. Chapter 2

Hola! How are you guys? ^_^

Hope you like this chapter too my dearest reviewers- AskForXYZ and Neha Borkar! Thank you so much!

**Disclaimer: I do not own City Hunter.**

* * *

**Chapter-2**

" Damn that octopus! He hit me so hard... Just you wait you giant hairless ape... ", mumbled Ryo as he examined the extent of damage on his face from Umibozu's attack at the hot springs.  
"Damn it... it hurts..", sobbed Ryo.  
Ryo was back in the room he shared with Umibozu. After he had been assaulted by Umibozu when he had tried to peek into the girl's side of the hot spring across the partition, he left the bath in a huff claiming he would get back at the bald octopus for what he had done to him. Of course true to his word Ryo had already come with a plan to teach Umibozu a lesson which involved a very cute kitten in the unsuspecting Umibozu's bed.  
Ryo snickered at his plan, he could not wait to see the look on Umibozu's face when they went to bed.  
There was a knock and the sound of the door being opened into his room. Ryo made no move to get up from the bed he was lying on. Because the person who had entered, he was entirely too familiar with.  
"Ryo, dinner time.", Kaori said as she entered the room," What are you doing sulking in your room? You deserved it, after all how dare you even think of doing such immoral things...", Kaori Makimura trailed off.  
Ryo paid no attention to the words that were coming out of Kaori's mouth because his brain was entirely too busy trying to process what his eyes were seeing.  
Behind his mask of aloofness, Saeba Ryo was a mess...  
Kaori was there in front of him, one hand on her hip and the other pointed and shook at his face as she told him off...  
But damn that woman! The bath robe you would normally wear at a hot spring suited Kaori entirely too well for Ryo's taste...  
It fitted her perfectly.  
He could make out the curve of her hips... the v-shape near her neck beckoned him to mark her neck as his own... maybe if he looked harder he could figure out weather she was wearing anything beneath the robe...  
With that Ryo's mind wandered at a speed that challenged that of the light as his mind played various scenarios with Kaori that sent exciting chills through out his body...  
Ryo was so caught up with the images that his mind conjured that he did not see the 1000 ton hammer flying towards him and smashed him into the wall above his bed... quite... terribly...painfully.  
"You pervert! What were you thinking of with that lecherous look on your face, huh?! While I am here wasting my time to make you a better person... Oh! Why do I even bother?! ", said Kaori exasperated and walked out of the room. Slamming the door rather loudly on her way out.  
Ryo fell onto the bed with a thud...  
"Man... that hurt... ", Ryo whined as he massaged his head, " These people will kill me for sure...".  
But despite the pain Ryo could not help the smile on his face. Looks like his guess was right. The get-away was exactly what Kaori needed, seeing how she was happier and better when she had walked into the room then she ever was since Lei Akumu had shown up.  
At the thought of Lei Akumu, Ryo's blood boiled. He should have killed the sorry excuse of a man when he had a chance...  
Ryo willed his mind to stop thinking of him and concentrate on Kaori... she was going back to normal. And at that, he rejoiced. He could not wait any longer. He had to tell her.. show her.. how much he loved her... wanted her... needed her.

* * *

Kaori stomped all the way to the dinning banquet where Miki and Umibozu were already waiting for her and Ryo.  
"Stupid pervert... when I am serious...," Kaori mumbled incoherently.  
She had wanted to talk to Ryo and test out this "eyes" theory the girl from the hot springs earlier had told her about and she almost believed that it was true when Ryo had stared at her unblinkingly and looked at her with such intensity her knees had started to wobble... right up to the point the lecherous look on his face took form.  
Kaori's anger spiked again as she entered the dinning area but kept her cool. It would be no good to ruin others evening because of her bad mood.  
She smiled as she neared the table and took her place next to Miki, who sat across from Umibozu.  
"Kaori-chan, where is Saeba-san?", asked Miki as Kaori helped herself to the delicious spread laid out before them while Umibozu snickered.  
"He will be here soon enough", Kaori said shortly before smiling and stuffing a dumpling inside her mouth and gave a sigh, " They are so delicious!",  
No longer had she started on her second dumpling, Ryo appeared and without a word sat silently across from her.  
Miki and Umibozu said nothing but exchanged a look. Something was definitely off.  
"Kaori-chan, Saeba-san, Falcon and I are done with our dinner and are heading out to the garden for a stroll. Care to join us once you are done with dinner?", Miki asked her hands already around Umibozu's arm.  
Kaori nodded and smiled as they turned around and walked away, while ryo continued on with his dinner without looking up or uttering a word.  
Something was definitely bothering Ryo, concluded Kaori.  
She watched him closely as she ate...  
Just as she had mustered the courage to ask him what was on his mind, Ryo stood up suddenly and walked away declaring he had had enough.  
Kaori looked after him with troubled eyes before she too put her chop sticks down and got up.  
Something was bothering Ryo and it bothered her...  
What could Ryo be thinking off?  
Kaori mused as she wandered into the hotel's garden.

* * *

Ryo lay in his bed tossing and turning. Sleep would not grace him with its presence today he concluded.  
His head so full of thoughts and things that even when Umibozu had freaked out over seeing the kitten sleeping on his pillow, the scene had not been as funny as he had thought it would be.  
He was going mad... His feelings for Kaori were something he never felt before.  
They scared him.  
They made him hope for more.  
They exhausted him.  
Yet, he liked it. Very much.  
He had told himself that he would give Kaori time to deal with her demons before he...  
Before he...  
Before he... What?!  
Ryo wondered, sulking now.  
How can one woman be so much trouble...  
Ryo shook his head and made his way out of the room.  
This was going to be a long night...  
Ryo found himself walking in the direction of the hot springs and did not question himself when he found himself relaxing there after a short while in the hot water.  
The hot springs helped a little in clearing his mind.  
He layed back his head against the rock and could hear the movement on the other side of the partition.  
Probably another female guest from the hotel coming in for a late night dip..., Ryo mused but made no move to get up from his place... That is until he heard the clicking of a camera...  
Ryo became alert at that looked around... it did not take him long enough to narrow it down. It was coming from the tree on the other side of the compound of the hot spring.  
Ryo could make out the shadow of a figure... a man ... dressed in black, take unsuspecting pictures of the female hotelier.  
Ryo reached out for the wash basin near him and expertly threw it at the tree...  
The scumbag fell over the compound and knocked over the partition and splashed into the hot spring. The camera dangling off in an awkward angle from around his neck.  
Ryo walked over to him and took the camera from him and tosses it into the hot spring...  
The man whimpered as he saw his camera fall into the depths of the hot spring... broken forever.  
And almost instantly, the man was sent flying with a sudden hit from a 100 ton hammer.  
Ryo looked over to the other side, suprised... to find a very... a very angry... and a very... very hot Kaori...  
Her cheeks were flushed.. either because of the heat of the hot springs or because of the scumbag photographer... and her short but not too short wet ... and the towel wrapped around her every curve... leaving very few to his imagination.  
He stood there frozen.. unable to move... he silently agreed with his mind that he had never seen a more prettier sight then this before... there was something about this that he could not quite put his finger on... longing?... adoring?... What was it?  
Kaori seemed suprised too as she slapped one hand on to her towel and began to move away from him towards the edge of the hot spring, clearly embarrassed and blushing... obviously at the sight of him wearing nothing but a towel, wrapped around his waist... Ryo felt his pride take a boost at that and smirked inwardly to himself.  
He watched her try to climb over to the edge of the spring and failed and tried again... only to slip and fall...  
Ryo moved in the blink of an eye, catching her before she hurt herself.  
Then cursed himself for it...  
The towel she wore had loosened from its hold and hung dangerously low on her back, while the the towel in the front was held by nothing but the embrace they were currently in...  
God you are killing me! , he said to her in his mind.  
They continued to be like that until the doors to the hot spring were opened and in came the hotel staff...  
Ryo moved Kaori along with him as he turned his back to the entrance blocking Kaori from the sight of the now entering hotel staff.  
"Are you alright sir?!", they asked him to which he replied yes and gave them a few witty remarks on their security for their female guests before asking them to leave, sharply.  
All the while pressing Kaori to his chest with all his might... it just felt so right, Ryo justified his actions, she didnt resist now exactly did she...  
Kaori had been too quiet all along and it was getting on his nerves...  
"Kaori?", he asked tenatively.  
Kaori looked up with such emotions in her eyes that he found it hard to breath for a moment... she looked at him... into his eyes with such intensity that it felt like she was looking into the depth of his soul...  
If he had one... a voice in the depths of his mind said.  
But yet she kept looking... searching in his eyes... yet he did not dare try or find the strength to look away...  
Then she stopped, finding something that he was not aware of yet...  
She smiled that absolutely magnificent smile before saying-  
" I love you too, Ryo.".

* * *

So what do you think of the one shot that was suppose to be a one shot? :3

Review please!

Ans I am also thinking of taking requests you know...so drop in your ideas for your ideal CH fic! :)


End file.
